Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1128 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- é 4 \ ve ‘ee als . Se | - . wondering about | | : ’ | 3 rr cc ee — — ny would permit him to do go; and then he fell to Maggie, whether she would be blamed for visiting Uucle Benny so much, and if the accident of his meeting her at the old sailor’s would | be considered an offense, and finally he fell asleep. When he awoke it was hardly yet day. He looked for the captain but he was absent. He listencd for his footsteps; but only the sound of the distant surf, and the-waves rolling in on the beach, came to him. He arose, dressed and went out of the tent. The bright glow on the eastern horizon showed that genial day was breaking on land and sea. He walked all around the tent, but saw nothing of Captain James. hinking that perhaps he had gone down to the eat basin for water, Julian went in that direction. dway toit his attention was attracted by a vast quantity of birds that were filling the air with their cries. They were hovering over the cliff, coming up from below with great velocity, and darting down again with equal force. Their movements were so unusual that he changed his course and descended to the ledge, coming out to the face of the cliff in that direction. To his surprise the birds did not appear to heed his approach, but continued to dart back and forth with the same discordant cries. Wondering what the explanation of this could be, Julian approached the face of the cliff, which was here perpendicular, and looked over. At first he saw nothing unusual. But ten or twelve feet below him was around holein the face of the cliff, perhaps two feet in diamster—one of the many fissures peculiar to the ledge, but rounder and smoother than any he had ever seen. It was toward this opening in the rock that the birds seemed directing all their rage and outery. Something musbl be in there Julian thought. What could it be? some wild animal? A thrill of dread, as he remembered their defense- less condition, swept over him; but Julian was brave, as we know, and thought wisely, that a danger known could be far more easily met than one of which he knew nothing. - he could only see what it was, he said to him- sell. He lay down on the very edge of the cliff and stretching himself over as far as he dared, strove to peer into the darkness beyond the opening. In this endeavor the birds seemed to recognize him as an ally, and ceased a moment their wild criés, bovering about in such numbers and so near that a single sweep of his arm would have brought down _ dozens. For a minute he gazed down steadily into the fissure, but could see nothing but the zrayish brown of the slimy rock. But, suddenly, something at the bottom of the fissure seemed to move, Was it imagination? He looked again, and slowly from out the back- ground of duskier hue, he saw two glittering eyes fixed upon him witb a terrible upward glare. He LA beled tag head .to foot, A cold shudder ran through him. It recalled with horrified intensity the fascinating, serpent-like eyes in the den of the land-shark. Of that terrible strugele to retain his consciousness at that time when he felt those long, merciless fin- gers plucking at his breast. What terror there was even in the remembrance. He shook like one in an ague, and nearly fell from the clit?. Only by the strongest effort did he recover his uilibrium, e succeeded in gaining his feet, and without a lance behind, he ran at full speed for the tent. Not ill he was safe within did he draw a long breath, and even then he looked out as if half expecting to see those terrible eyes coming up the slope. He looked about him for the captain, but he had not yet returned. Where was he? Had he gone to the skeleton rock, and if so should he follow him? CHAPTER XI. HE CAPLAIN'S VISIT TO THE WRECK—THE DESTROYER. Hap Julian been less excited by his discovery of the saurian, reptile or beast, whichever it might be, that had so startled him, and looked down along the shingly beach below, where they hadleft the stores, he would ‘have seen the confirmation of a visit from the creature still more devastating than that of the night previous. . oxes and casks were crushed into splinters and their contents scattered, and even the stout cans eontaining preserved meats were broken and some of them emptied. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. But he had been more than repaid otherwise for | his labor. Quite a portion of the forecastle was still remain- ing, though, of course, charred and blackened, and bere he found two or three seamen’s chests. A search of these revealed man acl a spi should their stay on the island be pro- onged, things likely to | Among them he found what he was now most | anxious for—a double-barreled gun—one barre! rifled _ for ball cartridge, and a pair of heavy navy revolvers, | He was fortunate, too, in finding ammunition for these in acopper, water-tight flask. Placing the re- volvers and ammunition in his pockets, and with the run slung upon his shoulder, the captain was about Crodeiats the wreck when he discovered the presence | on the beach of their mighty visitant. | his departure, | lope line in the water, w To have ventured ashore then in the moonlight would have been madness, and he resolved to wait quietly till the setting of the moon, and the dark hours preceding the dawn, should give a better hope of escaping observation. But wearied out he fell asleep where he was, only awakening just in time to see by the growing daylight Julian running from the cliff. And now, at every hazard, he determined to land at once, for Julian, it was evident, hac discover- ed the monster, and would be doubly alarmed at his absence. Since he had come out to the wreck the tide had pa to the full, and landing was much more diffi- cult. But Captain James was not the man to hesitate. With his weapons placed easy to his hand, the cap- tain descended to the float—one of the hatchways— and noiselessly paddled along the shore till he was ce a ha the camp where the distance was much less. e landed and harvian up the slope, being met by Julian, who had grown much alarmed, as he had an- ticipated, at his absence. At sight of the double-zun Julian uttered an excla- mation of delight, only exceeded when. the captain took the revolvers from his pockets and presented him one of them, ‘Oh, sir,” he gasped excitedly, “‘we have imme- diate use for them. Are they loaded?”’ * They are, and we are that much better off than we were, Your suggestion about searching the wreck was a good one. I felt yesterday it was, perhaps, our only chance of safety—either that or the isola- tion of the skeleton rock.” ‘* You know, then,”’ said Julian, “‘ the terrible dis- covery I have just made?’ **I do,’ said the captain, “but even with these weapons we must take the enemy at a disadvantage, or we Shall be powerless. We may cope with some danger even-handed, but not with it.” ** Now, then, is the time,”’ said Julian, eagerly. ‘I looked right down upon if, sir; such terrible eyes. In- deed, sir, I could see nothing else,” “All the better,” said the captain; “if we can still see them, it will be our best opportunity, Come! but | stay. I will load the eun first.’ He took out the ammunition, and proceeded to load both barrels. He then made another examination of the pistols, and then set forth by the route Julian had taken. By this time the sun had risen and was shiving brilliantly, sending long lanes of shimmering light far over the sea, and tipping the waves with little jets of burning gold; but Julian’s glance was not upon the sun nor sea, as they advanced. He was looking along the top of the ledge, ‘The birds are gone, sir,’’ he aed abruptly. * What does that mean?’’ ‘‘It means, perhaps,”’ said the captain, qnicken- ing his steps, “that their enemy and ours has taken Let us see.”’ They reached the cliff, the spot where Julian had been, and, as he had. said, the birds were gone. Very noiselessly they approached the verge and looked over. Those terrible eyes were no longer visible, but far out to sea, beyond the pots of rocks, there was a iich cut the rippling waves, 9 'andfrom that direction came an o¢easional discord- | arain. He would also have seen, had he looked behind | him when he ran, Captaiti James standing on the broken bowsprit of the dismantled wreck, waving his hand to him in warning; tor the captain had made an earlier discovery than Julian. A discovery the fear of which had been in his thoughts all the day revious—had troubled him yy ere when at erock after finding the skeleton—that had kept him wakeful and watchful all the night. For he had discovered ‘he cause of that strange cry, and what it was that had wrought such havoc among their scanty stores, Agreeing with Julian in the possibility of flre-arms —pistols at least, being found on board, the captain had taken advantage of the low tide, and his wake- fulness, to make his way out to the wreck, and while there had made his discovery and found retreat shoreward cut off for a time, A a .? aS, ° a oe %, . ; Ne STON 9 4, eeaery Wee oer ee fe | mY Ps “3 Shey bs ‘ x 7 ‘a .) : rey , ah hy y - NG i ‘ if fo ein ot hy: , bss at! ‘ Wy test Punch Hy a ee ant cry—the same they had heard in the night. Julian turned toward Captain James, to call his at- tention to it, but he had already observed if. ** He is off for to-day,” said the captain; ‘‘ we can rest in peace till the next tide. Heis sure to come No wonder we find no living thing on the island.” ‘The poor fellow at the top of the rock must have led a terrible life while he lived: but for the rock in- deed, and its isolation,, his existence would heve been brief. — —_ ~~ “What do you make it out to be, sir?” asked Ju- lian, as they went along, thinking of the two terrible eyes he had seen. ‘It can’t be a wild beast—is it an alligator?” “No,”’ said the captain, looking at htm steadily, as if marking the effect of his words. “It is an enor- mous sea-serpent)’’ Nexto CHAPTER XII. UNCLE BENNY TO THE FORE. DREAMS are not always true, nor on the other hand are they always false! So wrote some years ago a well-known author, whose wide range of experience and keenness of ob- servation gave him an air of authority; and in the case of Julian’s singular dream, these words may have application. For something had actually transpired at home | very similar to what had been reproduced in his | veyed to him by his daughter Maggie after vision. No sooner had Squire Lawson definitely learned of Julian’s departure, than acting on the authority he held as the boy’s legally qualified guardian, he pro- ceeded to take possession of his property. The first intimation of Julian’s purpose was On 1er return from the accidental meeting at old Benny | widow would never return, the squire did not Haven’s. That the squire’s state of mind at hearing of Ju- lian’s departure, or running away, as he called it, was not a pleasant one may be inferred from the fact that he punished Maggie for bringing the in- formation, by locking her up and ordering her fed on bread and water for forty-eight hours, as if she had been an accessory before the fact. ) Largely conducive to this wrathful state of mind was no doubt the supposable fact that Julian had taken with him all the ready money of the late Adams—upon which it would seem Squire Lawson had looked rather gloatingly. That the boy would come to no good hesitate to as- sert: but in this, as in some other casés, it is not un- likely that the wish was father to the thought. At | any rate he took possession of the property, secured a tenant for it forthwith, and before Uncle Benny | Haven was aware what was going on, they had taken full possession, and when he did make a final attempt to secure legal recognition as Julian's guar- dian, as being chosen by the lad, he found himself | laughed at for his, trouble, Juiian’s declaration of choice not having been made before a‘ magistrate, had no validity in law, conse- quently the old sailor found himself powerless to act in Julian’s behalf, This did not prevent himy however, going to Squire | Lawson and protesting very strongly against his | rather apie ag to which protest the squire merely aughed, and snapped his fingers in derision, using contemptuous language; finally ordering Uncle Benny out of his magisterial presence, By this time the lion-like nature of the old man was aroused, and he resented both the words and the manner of their utterance in a manly, if not wholly magisterial manner, which left the squire prostrate and bleeding at the nose on the floor. Hurrying home with the step of & young man, after this encounter, Uncle’ Benny found an arrival at the cabin. It was that of the letter Julian had written him, stating his purpose to sailin the Hong Kong, his en- counter with the land-Shark and other matters. And while he was reading the letter for the sec- ond time there came another arrival—that of Maggie Lawson. She brought the information that the squire had fone in great excitement for a constable to arrest him, and her love for the old sailor, and her fear of what might happen, had brought her swiftly with the news, But the old sailor was bow fully aroused, and as he expressed it, alive from clew bo earing, and not to be caucht napping. Had he been thirty-years younger, he conld not have proceeded with greater celerity or more Gelib- erate calmness than naw, © cerry eut tle purpose he had in mind. These two arrivals, he told Margie, decided his course, and he proceeded at once to pack up a few articles in a small bundle for a temporary aosence, He showed Maggie the letter from Julian, and the | messages the lad had, seat to ker, which made the young irl glow with delight. But her eyes sud- > denly fliicd with tears, For us, we are better preprared to cope | with it; but we must have al) the advantage possible | besides. It will be a batile to the death, whichever wins.” ‘We must begin by removing our stores to the top | of the rock,’ coucluded the captain, “or we shall soon have have none left. See what the monster has eaten and destroyed already,” he added, look- ing down toward the beach. ‘* Would it not be better, sir,’ said Julian, ‘ to go on board the wreck, and take up our quarters?” ‘*Not to remain,”’ said the captain, * as it will be liable at any time to break up; but to-night we will take up our position there, if on reflection it seems desirable, and watch the enemy.’”’ “But why not make it our fort, and attack him from it?” asked Julian, eagerly. The captain smiled gravely, and shook his head. “Not strong Gnough as it is,” he said, “but it might be strengthened. We will see. But let us re- turn to breakfast. This watching and fasting and anxiety has left me very hungry, and a boy’s appe- tite is always good, I believe, eh! Julian?” Gonchidell the captain cheerfully. | Julian assented, and they retraced their steps. wae aad yor. a ee = aya? es ‘You are going +o him, Uncle Benny ?”’ she said. “That is my purpose Meggia,” declared the old sailor, with great deliberation, com atrge ; as he spoke the filling of a large money-belt from his money-box—the same he had shown Julian. *“T may not be in time,” be continned, “to find him before he sails and bring him back here, but T shall try it at least, and Lam taking with me money suflicient to follow bim if need beto the end of the werld,”’ ‘Oh, if [could only go with you!” cried Maggie, clzaping her hands. “there is no reason that I know why you can’t, Maggie,’’) said Uncle Bemy, ‘‘except, of course, the objection of the old frayed snifter, the squire, and he’s only pip step-father, at most, who mar- ried your mother for her money, and she died a rear after with his treatment, as everybody knows, or I wouldn’t mention it,” he added, half apoiogeti- “No reason for “pay not going if you wish except that,” continued the old sailor, completing his pre- aratory packing up, laying down the bundle orm a ockKer, and taking her hands, - ‘* Why, how has the oll whark been treating you lately?” he questioned. and that he ’ 4 ; Y . ms y) j ’ i J a > hit ™ \ i ~ + rm s* 4 5 ve Weer , * as - Do east